Main menu

News & Events

Marie Calapa, a senior in the Department of Astronomy, was recently notified that she has been selected to receive the Spring 2013-2014 UMass Amherst Rising Researcher student achievement award. This new award, sponsored by the Vice Chancellors for University Relations and Research Engagement, recognizes exceptional UMass Amherst undergraduate students who excel in research, scholarship, or creative activity. As part of this special recognition, she will receive an engraved award, special recognition in campus publicity, and an opportunity for her, her advisor, and special guests to meet the Chancellor and Mrs. Subbaswamy at a spring reception on April 23rd.

It was recently announced by the TMT Science Advisory Committee that Professor Mauro Giavalisco has been selected to be a member of the "Early universe, galaxy formation and the intergalactic medium" International Science Development Team (ISDT) of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

Professor Daniela Calzetti has been invited as a Raymond and Beverley Sackler Distinguished Visitor to the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK, for the Fall of 2014. She will be spending two months of her sabbatical year at the Institute of Astronomy.

Professor Daniel Wang was recently appointed as a Yixing (endowed) Visiting Chair Professorship at Nanjing University in China. This appointment lasts for three years. The award is for his international reputation as a distinguished astronomer, and his outstanding contribution to the school of astronomy and space science of the university.

Professor Emeritus William M. Irvine has been elected to the Steering Committee of the new IAU Division F, Planetary Systems and Bioastronomy. Commission F "deals with our Solar System, extrasolar planetary systems, and bioastronomy. To this purpose, the Division promotes studies concerning planetary systems, including our own, aimed at the understanding of their formation and evolution, from the point of view of the dynamics and of the physics, as well as of the occurrence of conditions favourable to the development of life in the universe. Division F promotes the dissemination of reliable physical and dynamical data concerning the astronomical objects in the above fields, and oversees the assignment of proper nomenclature and discovery credits, where appropriate."

Professor Daniela Calzetti has been selected as one of the faculty members to be recognized at the ninth annual UMass Amherst Faculty Convocation. This event, to be held on Friday, October 4 at 11:00 am in Bowker Auditorium, will be a celebration of research and creative activity that has achieved national and/or international recognition in recent years. As an honoree, she will receive a crystal statuette, which will be presented to her during the convocation ceremony.

Professor Daniela Calzetti was recently awarded a Treasury Program on the Hubble Space Telescope for 154 orbits, to use the powerful WFC3 Camera on board the HST to image nearby galaxies from the ultraviolet to the red. The program is called LEGUS: Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey, and will be executed on the HST starting in the Fall of 2013. In addition to the 154 primary orbits, Professor Calzetti was also awarded 154 parallel orbits, that will increase the legacy value of the survey.

Allison Kirkpatrick has been selected to receive a 2013-14 Graduate School Fellowship. The Graduate School Fellowship was created to recognize and reward excellence among a select group of incoming and continuing graduate students.

The call for LMT shared-risk Early Science (ES) programs has yielded a total of 34 proposals (18 Mexico, 16 UMass/Five Colleges), that involved 146 different researchers (including students) world-wide (67 Mexico, 22 UMass/Five Colleges and 57 at other non-partner U.S. and international institutes). After a review, successful proposals will be scheduled and executed by the UMass and Mexican astronomers during the 10 week period starting on May 1, 2013. The details of the LMT Early Science program can be found at the LMT/GTM website.

Senior Astronomy student Kelly Malone is one of four undergraduate students recognized as the UMass Amherst Rising Researchers, which is an award sponsored by University Relations and Research Engagement. Kelly, who is a double-major in physics and astrophysics, and others are recognized for their achievements in research, scholarship, and creative activity.